Bias’ Father Says His Son Was Used by University of Maryland

James Bias said that his son, basketball star Len Bias, “was used, plain as day” by the University of Maryland during his all-America career, and he questioned whether anything substantial had come out of the investigation of his son’s death by cocaine intoxication.

“It’s a matter of who’s in charge,” James Bias said of Maryland’s athletic program. “These people are given too much, they have carte blanche and they’re doing what they will with these kids.”

James Bias, an equipment technician for Air Chemical Products in Landover, Md. and his wife Lonise had issued previous statements through their attorney and held one news conference since their son’s death June 19. But this marked the first time the family had raised specific concerns or questioned the actions of Maryland basketball coach Lefty Driesell, of whom Bias said: “There’s no way he can have the respect of the kids.”

Bias addressed a wide range of subjects that the Prince George’s County, Md., grand jury has been investigating and questioned whether the full circumstances of his son’s death have come to light. Bias said he believes there may have been a substantial lapse between the time his son collapsed in the dormitory suite he shared with five other players, and 6:50 a.m., when paramedics responded.

“I think he was sick a long time before he got help,” he said. “I couldn’t say how long. But I do have my doubts about testimony as to the timing. They haven’t yet established the time of death, and the coroner’s report still lists the manner of death and how he ingested the cocaine as undetermined.”

Medical reports indicated that Bias collapsed at about 6:30 a.m. He was pronounced dead at 8:50 a.m. at Leland Memorial Hospital in Riverdale, Md.

“Several people say it doesn’t make sense, and it doesn’t make sense to me,” Bias said of the reported time sequence of his son’s collapse and death. But Bias declined to say whether he had the autopsy report and hospital data independently analyzed.

Bias indicated dissatisfaction with the grand jury’s refusal to return indictments last week. Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Arthur A. Marshall Jr. asked jurors to consider indictments for obstruction of justice against Driesell, agent Lee Fentress, and Robert Wagner, Bias’ coach at Northwestern High School in Hyattsville, Md. Marshall said the three men “clearly” gave advice that evidence of drug use be removed from the dormitory suite.

“I don’t know how this could happen, no indictments,” Bias said. “ . . . I don’t think they were acting in the interest of the kids. I think they were acting in the interests of the University of Maryland.”

Driesell and Fentress were unavailable for comment. Wagner said, “I can understand how they feel. It’s a great loss.” The high school coach also reiterated that he was not aware of any drug use when he told Len Bias’ suitemate, David Gregg, whom Wagner also coached at Northwestern, to clean up the room.

Gregg and teammate Terry Long were indicted in August on one charge each of obstruction of justice and one charge each of possession of cocaine. Brian Lee Tribble, a former Maryland student and friend of Len Bias, was indicted on charges of distributing cocaine, possessing cocaine with intent to distribute, possessing cocaine and possessing the hallucinogen PCP.

The grand jury also looked into the contractual dealings between Driesell and Fentress, who also was Bias’ agent. James Bias said he believed Fentress may have had “a conflict of interest” when he negotiated contracts with the Reebok shoe company for both the player and the coach. Len Bias agreed to a $1 million multiyear contract but never signed it.

James Bias said the contract “is legal in my eyes. We’ll have some dialogue (with Reebok).”

One of Bias’ chief concerns was the revelation that his son was 21 credits short of graduating when he died, and that it had never been brought to his attention. James and Lonise Bias recently appeared before a university task force reviewing the academic performance of athletes to voice their concerns, which he said are indicative of big-time athletics.

“I think he was used, plain as day,” James Bias said. “Anyone who would sit down and look at this in light of these revelations on academics would say that. . . . In the last decade, five blacks (who played for Maryland) graduating--that’s ridiculous. That tells you what the system is about.”

Bias recalled a report that Driesell had told player Bryan Palmer not to take a required engineering course that conflicted with practice and said, “That’s setting an example? Has anyone looked at the moral fiber of that?

“There’s no way he can have the respect of the kids. How could he? They’re (players) saying they support the system, but that can’t be. That’s a fact.”